Kadri may very well face supplemental discipline from the league for one, if not both of his infractions.

Milbury had a different idea of how this should be handled.

“We talk about fighting and it’s role. This is when somebody has to take care of Nazem Kadri,” Milbury said during a second-intermission segment for the NHL on NBCSN.

“You can’t do it tonight but sooner or later down the line, you find a way or maybe you find a way to go after their better players and make some big contact or a fight because it does have some value in terms of policing the game.”

He’s spot on with everything except the second hit being way worse. Now I don’t have to feel like I agree with him.

mountainmantride - Nov 14, 2013 at 12:06 AM

Kadri’s mouthy on the ice, and off the ice. He’ll be gone out of TO soon. Deal forthcoming.

mountainmantride - Nov 14, 2013 at 12:09 AM

Yup, Kadri will be ‘taken care of.’ And the Leafs will deal him in a package soon.

mp1131211 - Nov 14, 2013 at 12:10 AM

In this case, it has value only if the league takes no action. If the NHL punishes him and his team by suspending and fining him reasonably, then its done and over and its even. I think the Wild were smart in this match not to get caught up in fisticuffs, to borrow a term. They won and they wouldn’t have if the Leaf’s had gotten them caught up in physical play because the Wild never play very well when things get physical.

stakex - Nov 14, 2013 at 12:17 AM

Kadri should have been jumped after what he did to Backstrom. If nothing else, a team HAS to go above and beyond to defend their goalie after something like that…. and perhaps this later hit doesn’t happen if Kardi was given a proper beat down at that point.

mp1131211 - Nov 14, 2013 at 12:21 AM

Or if the refs did their job and threw him out, the second hit wouldn’t have happened, either. Why does it have to be a beat down for it to stop? Just doesn’t make sense. The Wild don’t play well that way and they shouldn’t have to risk losing their power play or risk getting an instigator penalty at a later time. Sure, fighting could have policed this, but so could throwing a ten minute game at him.

Perhaps the refs thought MN would take care of him. Not saying MN is right or wrong but most teams wouldn’t have let Kadri get to the box much less the rest of the game without bloodying him up.

mp1131211 - Nov 14, 2013 at 1:54 PM

That’s an idealistic idea, moarjam, but actually it happens a lot. Teams these days are more interested in winning games than fights and more and more you are seeing restraint with goalie interference.

I think he was referring to the point Milbury made about going after some of the Leafs stars as retribution, that is why he said in part. The perpetrator was Kadri and everyone agrees he should have been lit up to some extent by the Wild.

Ummm Yes and no…..After the second shot i would not hold anything against MN if they went after JVR or Kessel……How do you think the Leafs locker room would treat Kadri if they lost one of those two due to an injury from retaliation?…..Not saying it is the “Moral” thing to do but sometimes you gotta send that message!

Well, since the refs decided to take some time off and not do their jobs by ejecting him after the first classless hit, I see no excuse for the Wild not taking matters into their own hands by squaring-up against Kadri. Guy puts that kind of hit on your goalie, there should be no, “Next shift we’ll get him.” Goalie drops, gloves should drop in a (relatively) simultaneous motion. With that said, there’s really no message sent to that player if you fight one of their stars or a random player from their team, Milbury.

Situations like these are completely separate from trying to “spark” your team when you’re playing flat or when a guy makes a big open-ice hit on a star player from your squad. The guy put a cheap hit on your goalie and not a damn thing was done. The refs and Backstrom’s teammates blew this one, equally.

Brutal game to watch as a Wildfan, Backstrom and Granlund both took hits were worthy of a fine, glad Kadri got the gate. Nino had a few taking runs at him also, this wasn’t all Kadri’s. Toronto HC definitely had them out for blood. He should’ve taken Phaneuf out of this game before the third also, that was getting sad to watch.

youngs79 - Nov 14, 2013 at 7:18 AM

I blame the Refs just as much as Kadri. He should have been removed from the game after the forearm shiver to the head of Backstrom while he was in the crease. This guy has no business being in the NHL. He is a goon and clearly, his only intent last night was to hurt someone. Is this the message the NHL wants to send to their fans. He needs to sit down for a few games without pay.

jeppers19 - Nov 14, 2013 at 2:40 PM

Nazem Kadri is a goon? He is 6-0, 185 and has 14 points in 18 games. I believe what you meant to say is that running Backstrom like Kadri was classless. When a player sees that they are going to run a goalie, the first instinct should not be to continue and barrel through them. Sad thing is, Kadri probably would have avoided suspension if he didn’t make head contact with Granlund.

willyknowsall - Nov 14, 2013 at 9:32 AM

Maybe teams need players like Jon Scott on the team to prevent this but you’ve also stated there is no place in hockey for this type of Neanderthal. “Jon Scott should be out of the league”. Teams need a way to police the game, then 6′-8″ on the bench says the game will stay clean. try to stay consistent.

The Leafs will take care of their own problems when fail to make the playoffs or bomb when they do.

jeppers19 - Nov 14, 2013 at 2:41 PM

You can’t have it both ways, Milbury. You want guys like John Scott that are a “waste of roster space” out of the league, but those are the kinds of guys that take care of situations like these for the large part! Not every team has a Milan Lucic-type guy that can provide enforcer-level physicality and 50 points of offense on a yearly basis. The league is doing the right thing this year, physical play doesn’t always have to mean the big hits. But when the big hits come, guys need to use proper form or they’re gonna get penalized.

And oh, by the way – anyone that tries to mess with Kadri will have to watch out for Colton Orr and/or Frazer McLaren.

Do the Minnesota Wild not have anyone that can take out Kadri in a fight? He shouldn’t have been allowed to touch the ice without getting wrecked on his first shift after hitting Backstrom like that. You don’t wait to exact revenge after a hit like that. You deal it swiftly.

Minnesota should be ashamed. They deserved to get a second guy hurt after not immediately defending their most important player.